Global experts made an impassioned plea to change the way the world is tackling food insecurity, climate change, poverty and water scarcity — and warned that UN climate negotiators in Warsaw risked “turning their backs on some of the most vulnerable and poorest people in this world.” With attendance of more than 1,000 on the first day and 1,200 on the second, representing 122 countries, experts at the Global Landscapes Forum called for a “landscapes approach” to rural development. “Landscapes are not just an important part of the solution; they are the solution,” said Peter Holmgren, CIFOR Director General.

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Huddles, emotional monologues and a mass exodus — this year's UN climate talks were dramatic but fruitful for forests, experts say, with a framework for REDD+, adaptation funding and a tentative plan for the successor to the Kyoto Protocol all pushed through in the final hours.

Released during COP19, a new paper by Hansen et al., (Science, DOI:10.1126/science.1244693) processed 650,000 freely available Landsat images to visualize changes in forest cover at a whopping 30-meter resolution (before this, the highest res available was 500 meters). While it has been publicized as the most accurate way to estimate global forest loss, experts say that the findings should be used very carefully. Explore the new data set here.

Multinational corporations are pouring millions of dollars into protecting forests, throwing their weight behind the evolving market for forest carbon offsets. They are voluntarily buying big to achieve their own low-carbon targets as governments totter in implementing cap-and-trade policies that will guarantee stronger demand for carbon offsets and a more robust market.

CIFOR is accepting applications from regional organizations to host Technical and Networking Sessions at the two-day Forests Asia conference in Jakarta, Indonesia, in the first quarter of 2014. Expected to attract more than 1,000 participants, the event will position forests and landscapes at the core of ongoing ASEAN processes and will inform a common regional stance for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

A recent study of two villages in Cameroon indicates that small farmers there are not far from having the capacity to make REDD+ projects work in their communities. Previous studies have shown that smallholder agriculture is a leading driver of deforestation in Cameroon.

In an interview, CIFOR scientist Bruno Locatelli speaks about the emerging understanding of the importance of climate change adaptation for forest ecosystems. The relationship between climate adaptation and forests is unusual, he says, as work is needed both to adapt forest ecosystems to climate change while at the same time recognizing that forests themselves provide climate resilience benefits to the communities that rely on them.

About CIFOR

CIFOR advances human well-being, environmental conservation and equity by conducting research to help shape policies and practices that affect forests in developing countries. CIFOR is a member of the CGIAR Consortium. Our headquarters are in Bogor, Indonesia, with offices in Asia, Africa and South America.